Researchers at McGill University have uncovered a new method that may assist doctors in forecasting which early-stage breast cancers have a higher chance of turning invasive.
Published in Cell Reports Medicine, the study revealed that neutrophils, a type of immune cell responsible for combating infections, are capable of releasing an enzyme known as neutrophil elastase. This enzyme weakens the protective barrier surrounding ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), an initial stage of breast cancer.
Through experiments involving mice, human breast tissue, and lab-grown tumor models, researchers observed that when the immune cells or the enzyme were blocked, the protective barrier was better maintained.
These findings have the potential to enable medical professionals to differentiate between low-risk cases and those likely to progress, potentially avoiding unnecessary treatment for some patients.
Lead author Tarek Taifour, an MD-PhD student in McGill’s Department of Medicine, emphasized the significance of this discovery, stating, “Many patients with DCIS encounter challenging treatment decisions due to the unpredictable nature of lesion progression.”
While the research holds promise, McGill researchers caution that more extensive studies are necessary before the findings can be applied to clinical practice.
